She held onto him and closed her eyes, sighing contentedly at the way he made her feel. How was it possible that this man, this wonderful man, could make her pain and shame simply melt away? She had told him nothing about the horrible arguments that she'd had with Donny or Martin, but somehow Niles knew exactly what she needed.
But something happened, something that she was certain that neither of them were prepared for. She'd kissed him, not on the cheek as she often did, but on the lips. It was the type of kiss that she'd given Donny many times in the course of their courtship. And now she'd kissed the man she'd grown to think of as her best friend in the very same way. She hadn't meant for it to happen, but it had. And as expected, Niles drew back, staring at her in disbelief. The words that followed were just as unexpected, but they came from her heart.
"Daphne…"
"I love you, Niles Crane." She blurted out. "I love you so much..."
His mouth fell open and she knew that her impromptu confession was something that he was unprepared for. After all, until that moment, even she hadn't realized how much she cared for Frasier's younger brother and yet here she was telling him she loved him in what was surely the most romantic way. What must he think of her? But suddenly she found that she had to say more.
Her trembling fingers reached out and brushed against his soft cheek. "You're such a wonderful friend and I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been here for me. Not just tonight, but so many times…"
He swallowed hard and she wasn't sure if the tears in his eyes were real or imagined. But there was no mistaking the way he was looking at her. She didn't have to ask if he felt the same way, because she could see it clearly. And the sudden burst of happiness inside of her brought tears to her eyes.
She'd never thought of him in any other way other than a close friend and the brother of the man who hired her to take care of his father. And yet now she knew that perhaps she'd loved him for longer than she wanted to believe. She only wished that she'd said something long ago. If she had, she knew that her life wouldn't be so complicated and her heart so ambiguous.
She squeezed him gently as new, unexplained tears filled her eyes. And when she sniffled, he drew her closer content to move his hand up and down her back. "I-I'm sorry for crying like this." she said, slowly drawing back to look into his beautiful blue eyes. "I-I just…"
In the most romantic gesture possible, he gently took the handkerchief that he'd given her just moments before and began drying the tears from her cheeks. "Daphne, I… I don't know what to say."
His words prompted another kiss, a longer one this time, one that she hoped truly showed how she felt. "Don't say anything, all right?" she whispered. "I'm sorry if I caught you off-guard with me silly confession. I just…"
"I love you too, Daphne."
Although she suspected as much, she gasped lightly, unable to stop smiling and then kissed him again… and again…
"Y-you do?"
"Yes." He said without hesitation. "I always hoped of course… and dreamed that you…felt the same way, and I know I should have told you how I felt before. I-I wanted to, so many times, but I-."
She didn't wait for him to finish; She couldn't. All she wanted was to kiss him like she'd never kissed him before. And it was the most heavenly thing imaginable, the feeling of his arms around her, holding her close.
"I can't quite believe this is happening." She said her mouth still on his. "I never thought…"
Once again he wiped the tears away with his handkerchief and then ran his fingers through her hair. "Are you going to be all right, Daphne?"
She thought for a moment. Things certainly were complicated now, what with her future with both Niles and Donny hanging in the balance. Perhaps this moment with Niles and the fight she'd had with Donny were signs.
She let out the deep breath she'd been holding and laced her fingers through his. "I… I don't know, actually."
It was the most honest answer that she could have given. But one that frightened her to no end.
